ANAHEIM – They were 18 days in August that could end up saving the Angels in October.

It was Aug. 8-26 when all that had been plaguing a struggling Joe Saunders for most of the season was vanquished.

Saunders took a trip to the disabled list that first saved his season and now could save the entire team. The left-hander, who’ll take the mound for the Angels tonight in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, is a new man now.

He closed out the regular season with seven victories in his last eight starts and pitched well against the Yankees in Game 2, getting a no-decision after giving up just two runs over seven innings.

Left shoulder stiffness had been the culprit for Saunders’ midseason struggles. He first felt the discomfort in spring training but thought he could pitch through it, and did just that at first, opening the season 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA in seven starts.

But Saunders’ disposition was just as unrelenting as his shoulder stiffness. As the condition worsened, Saunders became more determined to fight through the discomfort. The biggest issue was that he was unable to follow through on his pitches, making them more predictable to opposing offenses.

Before finally giving in to the injury, Saunders gave up at least four earned runs in eight consecutive starts. After going on the DL and getting treatment, which included a cortisone shot, Saunders didn’t give up four earned runs in any of his last eight starts and gave up three only once.

“For me it was kind of like make-or-break time for me in my head,” Saunders said. “You know, I hadn’t pitched well. I was like, I know I’m better than this.

“That time off when I came back, it was like, all right, I’m just going after guys. I’m going to try to win as many games as I can and really attack hitters, and really get as many wins, because we were in a dogfight with the Rangers at that time. Every start was crucial for us.”

While the Yankees lineup is daunting, Saunders has shown he’s one to be feared. In a Sept. 21 regular-season game, he held the Yankees to two runs on seven hits in 8 1/3 innings and picked up the victory. His Game 2 start in this series continued that trend.

“They’re a tough lineup, a patient lineup,” Saunders said. “If you get behind them and they get in the hitter’s counts, it makes your life really difficult, as we saw (in Game 5 on Thursday). So just go after them. Be aggressive early on, and throw strikes. Hopefully we’ll get some outs.”

Comeback kids

Eleven teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series, which is where the Angels were before Thursday’s game.

Even with a Game 5 victory, there are fewer teams that have accomplished what the Angels have ahead of them. Only four teams in baseball history have rallied to win Games 6 and 7 on the road, which the Angels will have to do.

“Anything’s possible, man, this is baseball,” Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. “Baseball is a crazy game, man. You see some crazy things. Every time you come to the game – you’ve probably been to 1,000 games, and you see something different every year.”

Lackey looms

The National Weather Service predicts heavy rain tonight for New York, which could mean good news for the Angels if a potential Game 7 is pushed back to Monday.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said that if the Angels can win Game 6, he would consider using John Lackey for the deciding game in that scenario. The right-hander would be working on three days of rest after throwing 104 pitches Thursday.

“If there is an opportunity to look at bringing a guy like John back, it’s something we would certainly consider,” Scioscia said.